Chapter 1

The day we finalized our wedding plans.

That was the day I stumbled onto my fiancée's secret Facebook account.

"They're forcing me into this marriage again. I don't even know what I want anymore. Whatever. Let's just get it over with."

That sentence drove a needle straight into my chest.

I stayed up all night, scrolling through that account from beginning to end.

My eyes finally stopped on a post from August 15th, seven years ago.

"I wish you happiness, even if it costs me a lifetime of misery."

That was the exact day Claire's first love, Julian Hayes, flew to London to chase his dreams.

It was also the night Claire, who never touched alcohol, stumbled into my room dead drunk. She let the strap of her dress slip off her shoulder, looked at me, and said,

"Mason, maybe we should give it a try."

The engagement dinner ended with both our families beaming.

I was happy, too.

Claire just sat across from me, her eyes cast down, expression unreadable.

Claire's mother gently nudged her shoulder.

Only then did Claire stand up to say goodbye to my parents.

"Peter, Margaret, drive safely."

My father looked at her, a gentle wistfulness in his eyes.

"Claire, you and Mason... take good care of each other."

"We will."

Claire answered with such flawless sincerity you couldn't find a single crack in her performance.

Once our parents were gone, Claire didn't say another word to me.

The car was dead silent.

She kept her head down, her fingers swiping rapidly across her phone screen. The harsh light reflected on the window, flashing like her suppressed irritation.

I watched her for a long time before I finally spoke.

"Claire, you don't want to marry me, do you?"

Her fingers paused. She locked the screen.

"That's not it."

"But tonight, you looked..."

"Mason," she cut me off, her voice clipped. "I'm just tired."

The silence returned, heavier this time.

I opened my mouth, but the words died in my throat.

Claire was always like this. She shut down, built a wall, and never let me in.

We had been together for seven years.

While dating, I could endure it. But marriage?

For the first time, the thought of a future with a predetermined, miserable ending made me want to back out.

"Mason, don't overthink it."

She grabbed my hand, but her eyes never met mine. A second later, she pulled away and stepped out of the car.

She left in such a hurry that she forgot her phone on the seat.

I sat in the car, dazed, before finally getting out.

I grabbed her phone on my way.

Just as I reached the front door, the device buzzed in my hand.

A new message.

Claire didn't use a passcode.

I hesitated for a second, then tapped the screen.

It was from her friend, Sophie.

"Treat us to a big seafood dinner tomorrow night."

Claire had a lot of friends and frequent dinners.

I let out a breath, not thinking much of it.

But as I tried to exit the app, my finger slipped and opened another page.

"They're forcing me into this marriage again. I nodded anyway. I don't even know what I want anymore. Whatever. Let's just get it over with."

It was posted by Claire half an hour ago.

The words plunged straight into my heart.

Chapter 1

The day we finalized our wedding plans.

That was the day I stumbled onto my fiancée's secret Facebook account.

"They're forcing me into this marriage again. I don't even know what I want anymore. Whatever. Let's just get it over with."

That sentence drove a needle straight into my chest.

I stayed up all night, scrolling through that account from beginning to end.

My eyes finally stopped on a post from August 15th, seven years ago.

"I wish you happiness, even if it costs me a lifetime of misery."

That was the exact day Claire's first love, Julian Hayes, flew to London to chase his dreams.

It was also the night Claire, who never touched alcohol, stumbled into my room dead drunk. She let the strap of her dress slip off her shoulder, looked at me, and said,

"Mason, maybe we should give it a try."

The engagement dinner ended with both our families beaming.

I was happy, too.

Claire just sat across from me, her eyes cast down, expression unreadable.

Claire's mother gently nudged her shoulder.

Only then did Claire stand up to say goodbye to my parents.

"Peter, Margaret, drive safely."

My father looked at her, a gentle wistfulness in his eyes.

"Claire, you and Mason... take good care of each other."

"We will."

Claire answered with such flawless sincerity you couldn't find a single crack in her performance.

Once our parents were gone, Claire didn't say another word to me.

The car was dead silent.

She kept her head down, her fingers swiping rapidly across her phone screen. The harsh light reflected on the window, flashing like her suppressed irritation.

I watched her for a long time before I finally spoke.

"Claire, you don't want to marry me, do you?"

Her fingers paused. She locked the screen.

"That's not it."

"But tonight, you looked..."

"Mason," she cut me off, her voice clipped. "I'm just tired."

The silence returned, heavier this time.

I opened my mouth, but the words died in my throat.

Claire was always like this. She shut down, built a wall, and never let me in.

We had been together for seven years.

While dating, I could endure it. But marriage?

For the first time, the thought of a future with a predetermined, miserable ending made me want to back out.

"Mason, don't overthink it."

She grabbed my hand, but her eyes never met mine. A second later, she pulled away and stepped out of the car.

She left in such a hurry that she forgot her phone on the seat.

I sat in the car, dazed, before finally getting out.

I grabbed her phone on my way.

Just as I reached the front door, the device buzzed in my hand.

A new message.

Claire didn't use a passcode.

I hesitated for a second, then tapped the screen.

It was from her friend, Sophie.

"Treat us to a big seafood dinner tomorrow night."

Claire had a lot of friends and frequent dinners.

I let out a breath, not thinking much of it.

But as I tried to exit the app, my finger slipped and opened another page.

"They're forcing me into this marriage again. I nodded anyway. I don't even know what I want anymore. Whatever. Let's just get it over with."

It was posted by Claire half an hour ago.

The words plunged straight into my heart.